Moving along now to the taxi ranks of Manchester and the unmistakable sound of Mark E Smith’s barking voice, one of many Fall songs in which taxis appear, in a frenetic schedule between gig, studio and pub. Hailing a cab is probably best known in the song Touch Sensitive (previously highlighted on SOTD), but his particular number, from the latter stages of Brix Smith era, and the album I Am Kurious Oranj, 1988, one of their best, has a particularly energetic, fresh sound, particularly with that keyboard riff by Marcia Schofield, and Stephen Hanley on bass. The guitar opening riff and rhythm is reminiscent of the song Dead Beat Descendant, which did not make the album but appeared on a later compilation. The song expresses a frenetic period for the band, when they were frequently touring, but also performing the album to accompany performances of Michael Clark & Company ballet – I Am Curious, Orange – for this the album was planned as a soundtrack. Clark may well be the Michael asked to jump in at the end. A live John Peel radio version is also below.
Cabbing it uptown
You're moving it uptown
You taxi it uptown uptown
And you're moving it southwest
You're cabbing it uptown
You're moving up sideways sideways
And you're cabbing it uptown uptown
Cabbing it uptown
Your business friend
Your business friend's Australian
And when he comes it's Gotterdamerung!
But you're cabbing it uptown
You're moving up south now
You're moving it uptown uptown
Sideways sideways
Main strips! Main strips!
People going, people going
Moving it uptown
And locked in the door bins
Slowly slowly
Jump in! Jump in!
You're cabbing it uptown uptown
But you know the best, Dan
I dunno where I am
I feel like crying
But cabbing it uptown
You're moving up sideways
Moving up slowly
You're cabbing it uptown
(Taxi! .....)
You'd better cab it up slowly
Moving in circles
A Shepherd's Bush man
Eats from a can
He taxi it southwest southwest
He moving it uptown uptown
Uptown Uptown
You'd better cab it up slowly
You'd better taxi it slowly
You'd better cab it slowly
You'd better cab it up
Jump in! Jump in!
Michael! Michael!
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